Self-locking ties are conventionally known as cable ties, tie-wraps, hose ties or zip ties. A self-locking tie is a type of fastener for holding items together. A common use for self-locking ties is to hold electric cables or wires together. Conventional self-locking ties are constructed with smooth sides and rigid edges. The rigid edges of a conventional self-locking tie can easily damage an electric cable.
The use of self-locking ties is not limited to electric cables or wires. For example, self-locking ties may be used to hold painted items together. The relatively rigid edges of a conventional self-locking tie may damage the very objects it is intended to collect and organize. The hard edges of the self-locking tie straps may cut into, scratch, and otherwise damage the surface of its collected objects.
Another common use for self-locking ties includes the use of a conventional self-locking tie as a physical restraint for a person being arrested by law enforcement in a manner similar to the way law enforcement typically uses handcuffs. When used in law enforcement, conventional self-locking ties may cause injury when used as a temporary restraint by cutting and bruising skin or cutting off circulation. Injuries resulting from the use of conventional self-locking ties may create liability problems for law enforcement.
Furthermore, the hard and inflexible nature of the conventional tie offers little or no friction between the tie straps and the objects they encompass. In other words, conventional self-locking ties merely encompass objects as opposed to securely gripping them and holding them in place. This lack of friction between the self-locking tie and the encompassed objects often results in an incomplete cinch around the encompassed objects. The self-locking tie can therefore wiggle, slide, or otherwise move around the objects it is intended to securely hold in place. This movement in the self-locking tie creates stress points, breaking points, or fracture lines that lead the self-locking tie to fail completely.